She’ll be married today.
The thought grips me, harsh and unrelenting, but there’s no room to linger on it. I turn to the tent flap, exhaling deeply, bound to the decision I’ve already made.
There’s no turning back now.
For her sake, for all of ours, there never was.
17
LAILAH
As the sun begins to rise, I prepare myself for sleep, but restlessness lingers in the air. I close the curtains tightly, blocking the first rays of sunlight as my room plunges into darkness. Sometimes, I miss the sun, its warmth and life—its light. But since entering the vampire court, everything has changed.
The sun feels foreign now, almost hostile, like it would burn me if I dared let it touch my skin. I know my pale complexion is no longer just a mark of my lineage, but a permanent reminder of what I’ve become—something that could walk among the undead.
As the room darkens further and I slip beneath the cool satin sheets, I feel the familiar pull of the shadows. Sleep beckons, but thoughts of him intrude like an echo in the dark.
His face, twisted in that haunting smile, the way he licked his fangs, blood still dripping from them, is etched into my mind like a stain I can’t wash away. Warmth stirs within me despite myself, despite everything. And as my mind slips further into the haze of sleep, my dreams take over, twisting into something darker... and I welcome it.
“Whatever you say, Princess,”Casper says, his voice dripping with amusement.
I spin around, frustration rising within me, but it’s not the kind I expect. It’s deeper—raw and electric. Passion.
“What did you just say?”My voice wavers, a betrayal of the steady composure I fight to maintain.
His smirk spreads slowly, that damned dimple creasing his cheek. But it’s his eyes that undo me—dark, predatory, brimming with hunger.
I blink.
The fire crackling in the hearth wasn’t lit when I went to sleep. The moonlight streaming through the windows feels too bright, too silver, casting everything in a glow that dances like mist.
He takes a step closer.
My heart stutters, torn between want and warning. This is my room, but not as it should be.This isn’t real.
But gods, how I want it to be.
“You aren’t real… You’re just a ghost in my dreams.”
My heart stutters as he steps closer, his eyes sweeping over my neck before locking onto mine. A knot forms in my stomach, twisting tighter as he closes in. I can’t move—I can only watch as his smirk deepens.
“Well, aren’t ghosts supposed to visit dreams?”he teases, his voice smooth, but there’s a dangerous edge beneath it.
“You mean haunt,”I counter, the word slipping from my lips like venom.
His eyes flicker, catching the faint tremor in my voice. Another step forward, and my back hits the corner of the doorframe. My hands scramble behind me for support, but there’s nothing to steady me as his presence presses closer.
Casper’s hand lifts, his knuckles brushing against my jaw before his fingers settle lightly around my throat. The touch is deceptively soft, but the power behind it is unmistakable. My pulse quickens beneath his grip, betraying me.
“Is that what you want, Princess?”His voice drops to a whisper, thick and rough.“To be haunted?”
The heat of his breath against my collarbone sends a shiver downmy spine. He leans in, his lips brushing my ear, and I tilt my head instinctively, giving him access without realizing it. His thumb strokes the hollow of my throat, a silent test of control.
I swallow hard, my breath unsteady.
“I already am,”I whisper, the words slipping out before I can stop them.“By you.”
His hand tightens, just enough to send a jolt of awareness through me, and he steps closer—so close there’s no space left. His knee presses between my legs, forcing them apart, anchoring me to him.
